Trailer hitch



H. D. HUME TRAILER HITCH Jan. l0, 1950 v 3 Shets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 27, 1948 INVENTOR. BYrcz Hume Jan. 10, 1950 H. D. HUME 2,493,874

TRAILER HITCH Filed Nov. 27, 1948 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 10, 1950 H. D. HUME 2,493,874

' TRAILER HITCH Filed Nov. 27. 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z/ ZZ IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 10, I1950 .s

STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE v Y Y TRAILERHHITCH y v N *y I u l HoracefD. Hume,Mendota, IILv V 'Y f -v -v Application November 27,1948,'Se1'ialNc.l62,291' u vcia'ims. (c1. 28d-33.9)

The present invention relates to improvements ina trailer hitch;

YVIn my .patent application, Serial No. 785,269, filed` November 12,194.7 for improvements. in a Trailer hitch, I have 'disclosed a means for olisetting the tendency for side swaying and settling which is due to theweight and pull of the trailer on .the rear. end of the Vtow car. My present invention is. directed to further improvements in a trailer hitch whereby a more eiiective control in preventing the trailer from swaying and bouncing is obtainedtogether with a control of the degree of pressure that may be applied to the front axle 4of the towr car for determining goed steering. Itis a well, known difliculty in pulling trailers that the front end of the tow car may at times .be so lifted as to make it dangerously difficult to steer the car.

. More specifically it is the purpose of my present invention.` to .provide a novel mechanism whereby Ya tow car and trailer are joined by an universal joint and rigid connections from the joint to both the trailer and tow car, in combination 'with aresilient and ileXible truss rod construction betweenthe tow car and the trailer, which connection'may be adjusted to provide a greater or less tendency to hold the front end of the tow car down. Other objects and `advantages of my invention will appear more fully from thev ,following description and the accompanying drawings oi a preferred embodiment of my invention. It should be understood however,-

that the description and drawings are illustrative only and should not be considered as limiting the invention except insofar as itis limited bythe claims.

In the. drawings: f

. Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a trailer and tow car connection embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detailedV view of a portion of urel; v

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View on an enlarged scale illustratingthe-'connections between the tow car and trailer;

the structure shown in Fig- Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on cated at I0 and th-e trailerat II. The front end of the trailerfis extended as shown at I2 toa connectingv bar I3. A jack memberv I4 is -profvided at the front end ofthe frame of the trailer for holding the frontendof the trailer raisedy when it is disconnected from the towA car. `:The`

mechanism for operating ythe jack'member I4 is not shown since it forms no part of the-.present invention and is well known. f

The Abar I 3 isrconnected to a vball .|15 whichis mounted on a bracket I6 that is secured to theA tow car. The connection between the bar I3 and the ball I5 is of well known construction and may be any universal or` ball and socket arrangement. which can be released to separate thetrailer fro-mf the tow car. yA release lever is illustrated at..I'I in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The bracket I Ef: preferably' .is Ybolted to the: bumper I8 of the :tow car by means of boltsillus trated at I9. .It is customary in the better ltowing attachments to provide a connecting bar 2li` between the bracket I6 and the car frame. The

bracket I6 is provided with cppositely directed lateral extensions 2| and 22 which are connected by a tie plate 23. Depending ball members' 24y and 25 are bolted to the lateral extensions .2L

and 22. f A ball and socket vconnection thev bracket I6 which is rigid with the towv car.

This universal jointpermits the trailer to swing-V laterally with respect to the tow car and to move' up and down or rock. -fThe pul1 -of the trailer on the universal joint and the weight of the trailer at the universal'joint cause the rear end of lathe:-

tow car to settle downward and also tend to lift the front end of the tow car off the ground. Ac-

cording to my invention,y I connectv two socket" members 26 and 21 to the ball membersl 24 and eye bolts 32 and 33. The members 28 and 29 are shown as chains but any equivalent flexible member may be used. The members 28 and 29 are connected to lever arms 34 and 35 respectively on the trailer. The lever arms 34 and 35 are secured by pivot pins 36 and 31 to a bracket 38 that is iixed to a cross member 39 of the trailer frame. The points of connection of the members 28 and 29 to the arms 34 and 35 are about one third of the distance out from the pivots 0f the lever arms to their free ends.

between the parts I3 and I5 provides anuniversal joint between? the frame I2 which 'is rigid with the trailer-and- The free ends of the arms 34 and 35 are connected to a pair of tension springs 40 and 4|, the rear ends of which are secured to the trailer frame as illustrated at 40a. The springs are adjustably secured to the free ends of the lever arms 34 and 35 by bolts 42 and 43 which extend through pivoted blocks 44 and 45 that are mounted in the free ends of the lever arms 34 and 35. The tension of the springs 40 and 4l can be adjusted by means ci the nuts 45 and 4T that are threaded onto the bolts $2 and 43.

The mechanism just described provides a flexin ble resilient truss construction between the trailer frame and the bracket I5. This truss construction can be made to exert more or less pull as desired by adjusting the tension of the springs 40 and 4I, but in all adjustments the eiiect ofr the truss construction is to exert a yielding force opposing the tendency of the trailer bar t3 to push down or depress the. rear end 'of the tow car. lateral swaying or rockingof the trailer with respect to the tow car is .alsol opposed, by the trussconstruction in asimilar yielding fashion. The connection of the flexible members 28 and 29 to the lever arms 34 and 35 near the pivots of.' the lever arms enables me to. use relatively light springs 40 and M ci substantial length. The arrangement of4 the fhexible. members with the transversely extending arms spring heldv against the pull of the flexible` members is simple and provides adequate 4arjiistrrrent for alli purposes., The transversely extendingv` arms. may be ccm bned with the: springs intheform of aleaf spring anchored to the trailer frame at the.Y center` and haring its ends attached to the flexible member.

' Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A trailer hitch for coupling' a trailer to ai tow car comprising` in combination a. bracket having three connecting members. thereon,V one: connecting member being spaced vertically above the other'tmo connectingr members; andthe other1 two. connecting members being' spaced apartY transversely of the tow car and on opposite' sides.` of alvertical line through the: rst namedi connecting' member, of a rigid draw bar iixed to the; trailer' and attached tol the rst. named connect ing member on said bracket by an universal joint and resilient flexibleI connecting means, attached to. the other two connecting members on the bracket by universalajcints and tothe trailer.

2.. In a trailer hitch for coupling a trailer to a tow car' wherein al draw bai: ort the trailer is connected to the tow car by' an universal joint, trans-v verse lever arms secured at one end to the trailer rame belowl the level of the drawI bar.-r spring means.` urging said arms away from the tow car. and a: member extending; from each armr for;- wardly to; the tow car andconnected by an universal joint to the tow car at a, point laterally of and substantially belowv the level of the: dra-w bar connection te the tow car.,

3. In a. trailer hitch` for coupling a trailer to a tow car wherein a. draw'bar on the trailer is connectedLto-the tow car by an universal joint, trans@ 2,498,874 i, Y l

verse lever arms secured at one end to the trailer frame, spring means urging the other ends of said arms away from the tow car, and a exible member connected to each arm intermediate its ends and extending forward to the tow car and connected thereto laterally of and below the universal joint.

4. In a trailer hitch for coupling a trailer to a tow car wherein a draw bar on the trailer is connected to the tow car by an universali joint, transverse lever arms secured at one end to the trailer frame, spring means urging the other ends of said arms away from the tow car, and a flexible member connected to each arm intermediate its ends and extending forward to the tow car and connected thereto laterally of and below the universal .ici-nt, said exible members each having a socket thereon at the tow car end and the tow car having balls thereon on which the sockets mount.

5. In a trailer hitch a bracket adapted for attachment to a tow car and` having an upper mounting member and two lower mounting members below and on opposite, sides of the upper member, a rigid draw bar universally connected to the upprer.I member and fixed to the trailer, transverse lever arms eachpivoted at one end tc. the trailer, a spring secured to. the other end of each arm and to the trailerurgingsaid arms, away from the tow cai.' bracket, andn connecting members: extending from. the lower;I mounting mem.- bers to the lever arms and secured to2 the lever arms intermediate their ends. Y

6V In a trailer hitch a bracket adapted for ate tachment to a, tow' and having anY upper mounting' member and two lower mounting memfs bers below and. on opposite sides of` the upper member, a rigid drawv bai: universally connected to the upper member and nxed toy the trailer, transverse lever arms each pivoted at; one endto the.V trailer', a spring secured to the. other end of each, arm and to the trailer urging said: arms away' fromv the tow car bracket,` and connecting members extending from; the lower mounting' members4 to the lever armsA and secured tothe lever arms intermediate their ends, said connectm ing; members each including a. flexible portion.

7. In ax trailer hitch a bracketV adapted for ata tanhment to a tow car andr having an upper` mounting member and two lower mounting members` below andi on opposite sides of the upper member, a rigid bar universallycon-i nected to the upper membery and fixed to:A the trailer, transverse lever arms each pivoted at one end to the trailer, a spring secured to: the other end' of each arm and! to: the trailer` urging said. arms away from the tow car bracket, and corr-- necting members Yextending from the lower mounting members to the lever arms and secured to` the. leverA arms intermediate their ends, said.cyr

connecting' members each including a flexible portion and'. a. portion extensible. in lengthr HORACE D. HUlVlll-rV Nol referencescitedL 

